On a very hot Saturday morning in Canbury Gardens Laura and Claire were joined by new GoodGymer Lola on her first mission and Claire's Dad to provide some gardening advice.

Armed with weeders and forks we tackled the weeds and brambles poking though the plants and gave the laurel a trim. Having completed the less exciting weeding task it was planting time. Claire laid out the plants she had grown with the taller ones towards the back and everyone dug nice deep holes and popped them in the soil.

With the hot weather the flowerbed was in desperate need of a drink so we headed off to he river for the main work out. Buckets were launched into the river to fill up the wheelbarrows and then push them up to the flower bed. 3 trips and some damp feet that quickly dried in the sun the plants were well watered.

Lets hope the new additions like their new home and add to the lovely colours in the flowerbed for all to enjoy and we hope to see Lola at her next GoodGym mission soon.

Something a bit different on a boiling hot evening as it was all aboard the Thames Venturer for a clean-up.

The lovely old vessel, part of the River Boat Project as a floating classroom to teach children about the water, does get a bit dusty during the winter.

Petra, David and Dave were off sweeping and washing the deck, while Tom and Rachel cleaned the windows. Marcos, JP, Claire and Laura gathered fresh water to fill the tank on the boat with relay visits back to Teddington Lock Island.

Fun to be on the water in a lovely setting and hope to be back again another time. And welcome David on his first task.

Tuesday’s group run took us to Hestia’s Good Energy Club, a fantastic community space supporting people experiencing mental health challenges. Their mission is to improve physical wellbeing, support mental health and reduce social isolation - values very much aligned with GoodGym’s own.

We arrived in force and were welcomed by John, who gave us a tour before offering the ultimate volunteer incentive: snacks in exchange for our cleaning efforts. Armed with hoovers, cloths, spray bottles and plastic gloves, we got straight to work.

We were also joined by special guests Ivo and Hannah. Rather than rolling out the red carpet, we rolled out the hoovers and put them straight to work alongside the rest of the team. After deciding who was tackling which room, John put on a soundtrack of 90s classics that kept spirits high and energy levels up throughout the evening.

The hour flew by, and before long it was time for a final snack break and the journey home. John was hugely appreciative of the help, explaining that the club doesn’t have a dedicated cleaning budget and that maintaining such a large space can be a real challenge.

It was lovely to meet Hannah on her first task, and congratulations again on your new role as CEO of GoodGym.